Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Seasonal coolth storage system for residential buildings in Australia

  • Published:
Journal of Central South University Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Night sky cooling is explored as an alternative to the conventional cooling technologies using fossil fuels. The night sky cooling method is based on the long wave radiation of unglazed collectors to the sky at night. An evaluation of the night sky cooling system is present for a residential building in three cities of Australia, namely Alice Springs, Darwin and Melbourne. The system comprises an unglazed flat plate solar collector integrated with borehole storage. It uses night sky radiation to reduce the temperature of the ground near to the boreholes. The system was simulated with TRNSYS, a transient simulation program. The simulation results for adequately sized systems show that night sky radiation is able to reduce the coolth storage borehole temperature and the proposed system is able to meet the cooling load of the residential building simulated in three locations. Borehole lengths of 270, 318 and 106 m are required for coolth storage with 90, 260 and 14 m2 collector area for heat rejection in Alice Springs, Darwin and Melbourne, respectively. At the 20th simulation year, the proposed system is able to achieve a system cooling coefficient of performance of 2.2 in Alice Springs, and 2.8 in Darwin and Melbourne.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. SCHULTZ A. Energy update 2009 [R]. Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics Canberra. 2009.

  2. DCC. Australia’s national greenhouse accounts-National greenhouse gas inventory accounting for the KYOTO target [R]. Department of Climate Change, Commonwealth Government of Australia, Canberra, 2009: 28.

    Google Scholar 

  3. WANG X, CHEN D, REN Z. Assessment of climate change impact on residential building heating and cooling energy requirement in Australia [J]. Building and Environment, 2010, 45(7): 1663–1682.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. BURCH J, CHRISTENSEN C, SALASOVICH J, THORNTON J. Simulation of an unglazed collector system for domestic hot water and space heating and cooling [J]. Solar Energy, 2004, 77(4): 399–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. MEDVED S, ARKAR C, CERNE B. A large-panel unglazed roof-integrated liquid solar collector-Energy and economic evaluation [J]. Solar Energy, 2003, 75(6): 455–467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. ANDERSON T N, DUKE M, KUNNEMEYER R, SMITH B. The development of a novel large area building integrated solar collector for pool heating [C]// In Solar2010. The 48th AuSES Annual Conference. Canberra, ACT, Australia. 2010.

  7. JAIN D. Modeling of solar passive techniques for roof cooling in arid regions [J]. Building and Environment, 2006, 41(3): 277–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. JUANICÓ L. A new design of roof-integrated water solar collector for domestic heating and cooling [J]. Solar Energy, 2008, 82(6): 481–492.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. JIANG H, OKUMURA A, HOYANO A, ASANO K. A solar cooling project for hot and humid climates [J]. Solar Energy, 2001, 71(2): 135–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. NAHAR N M, SHARMA P, PUROHIT M M. Studies on solar passive cooling techniques for arid areas [J]. Energy Conversion and Management, 1999, 40(1): 89–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. MEIR M G, REKSTAD J B, LØVVIK O M. A study of a polymer-based radiative cooling system [J]. Solar Energy, 2003, 73(6): 403–417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. PARKER D S, SHERWIN J R, HERMELINK A H. NightCool: A nocturnal radiation cooling concept [C]// ACEEE 2008 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings. American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, Washington, DC. 2008.

  13. DAMA T. Mathematical model and economic analysis of solar and nocturnal radiation assisted heat pumps for heating and cooling, in mechanical engineering [D]. Manhattan, USA: Kansas State University, 1987, 268.

    Google Scholar 

  14. HEIDARINEJAD G M. FARMAHINI FARAHANI, DELFANI S. Investigation of a hybrid system of nocturnal radiative cooling and direct evaporative cooling [J]. Building and Environment, 2010, 45(6): 1521–1528.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. BERDAHL P, MARTIN M. Emissivity of clear skies [J]. Solar Energy, 1984, 32(5): 663–664.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. MORRISON G L. TRNAUS-9.3 TRNSYS extensions for solar water heating [D]. Sydney, Australia: School of Mechanical Engineering, University of New South Wales. 2009.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Beureau of Metereology Climate Classification of Australia [EB/OL]. 2011-05-04. http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/climate-classifications/index.jsp?maptype=kpngrp.

  18. MORRISON G L, LITVAK A. Condensed solar radiation data base for Australia [D]. Sydney, Australia: Solar Thermal Energy Laboratory, University of New South Wales, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  19. BANKS D. An Introduction to thermogeology: Ground-source heating and cooling [M]. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. 2008: 107–110.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  20. BERNIER M. A review of the cylindrical heat source method for the design and analysis of vertical ground-coupled heat pump systems [C]// Fourth International Conference on Heat Pumps in Cold Climates. Aylmer, Quebec, 2000: 939–944.

  21. PHILIPPE M, BERIER M. Sizing calculation spreadsheet: Vertical geothermal bore fields [J]. ASHRAE Journal, 2010, 52: 20–27.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Group, Department of Infrastructure Engineering, Melbourne School of Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia

    T. Lhendup, L. Aye & R. J. Fuller

Authors
  1. T. Lhendup
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. Aye
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. J. Fuller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. Lhendup.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lhendup, T., Aye, L. & Fuller, R.J. Seasonal coolth storage system for residential buildings in Australia. J. Cent. South Univ. Technol. 19, 740–747 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-012-1066-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-012-1066-6

Key words

Search

Navigation